IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) announces the opening of the new Holiday Inn Express Downtown West, which recently underwent a conversion from a Ramada Limited hotel. The hotel’s extensive $1.25 million renovation includes upgrades to the exterior and updates to its 80 guests rooms and 15 Jacuzzi suites.  All the guestrooms are fresh and modern with flat screen televisions and new furnishings in a mocha décor complementing the signature white bedding.

“Holiday Inn Express hotels are designed to be the smart choice for value-conscious business and leisure travelers,” said Gina LaBarre, vice president, Brand Management, The Americas, IHG.  “With more than 2,000 properties worldwide and hundreds more in the pipeline, the Holiday Inn Express portfolio continues to provide our guests with an enhanced-stay experience at a great value.  We welcome this hotel into the Holiday Inn family.”

The new hotel exemplifies the $1 billion Holiday Inn relaunch, the biggest ever project of its kind in the history of the hospitality industry. First announced in 2007, the relaunch program creates a more contemporary brand image as part of the drive to increase quality and consistency across the global portfolio. The program focuses on arrival and welcome services, guestroom and guest bath comfort and a redesigned logo and signage.

“We are excited about joining the Holiday Inn family and being able to provide visitors to the Los Angeles area with outstanding service and a fresh look at a great value for our guests,” said General Manager Javier Barajas. “Following our renovation and our brand transformation to a Holiday Inn Express, we are now the only mid-scale property in our area.”

Located at 611 S. Westlake Ave. and situated close to Hollywood and Beverly Hills and just minutes from the Los Angeles fashion district, the new Holiday Inn Express Downtown West Los Angeles is close to several entertainment venues, including the Nokia Center L.A. Live, Staples Center and the Walt Disney Concert Hall. Guests can be at the beach or in the mountains within a half hour drive from the hotel.

For business travelers, the hotel is located near offices of Kaiser Permanente, Northrop Grumman, Boeing and Bank of America. It is also near the University of Southern California and the offices of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 

Guests can access free high-speed wireless Internet connections in guest rooms, the lobby as well as in the hotel’s 24-hour business center. There is also an 800-square foot meeting room as well as a fitness center and outdoor pool.

Conveniently located just off Wilshire Boulevard between the Hollywood and Santa Monica freeways, the new Holiday Inn Express offers guests a comfortable, yet affordable, business or leisure stay with innovative preferred guest upgrades to ensure a pleasurable experience. The hotel’s complimentary Express Start® breakfast bar features a full range of breakfast items including a rotation of egg and meat selections, biscuits, yogurt, fruit, pancakes and the brand’s proprietary cinnamon roll and Smart Roast® coffee. The SimplySmartTM shower incorporates a proprietary Stay SmartTM Kohler showerhead, signature shower curtain with curved rod, upgraded 100 percent cotton terry towels and a custom line of cinnamon-scented bath products.  Guests will enjoy the SimplySmartTM bedding collection where they will find crisp fresh bedding, which features an attractive decorative throw, a medium-weight duvet blanket and soft 200 thread-count sheets.

Guest rooms have been completely refreshed and offer new furniture including comfortable queen or king-sized beds, a sitting area with a lounge chair and an in-room coffee machine featuring complimentary Smart Roast® 100% Arabica coffee.  Business travelers will find large desks with ergonomic chairs, free local and toll free phones with private voicemail and complimentary USA TODAY® newspapers.

City.Mobi

Also in US today, City.Mobi is celebrating the success of its new guide to Los Angeles.

City.Mobi offers the most comprehensive mobile travel guides available, with over 800 cities in 200 countries listed. Each is developed by the City.Mobi team to combine into a single global travel directory.

However, each city retains its own mobile identity via a dedicated domain. Already on offer are Brussels.Mobi, Paris.Mobi, Sanfrancisco.Mobi and Sydney.Mobi.

LosAngeles.mobi is the latest in this illustrious line up, offering click to call functionality – which means no scribbling down telephone numbers.

Most entries are also linked to websites where users can quickly access more detailed information if needed.

Other key features include information on accommodation, restaurants, attractions, entertainment, nightlife, shopping, and transport.

City.Mobi guides include user reviews and traveller utilities such as a translation guide, currency converter, news and local weather guide.